DPP calls for immediate reform of energy industry

By Chris Wang / Staff reporter

Tue, Mar 26, 2013 - Page 3

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday called for an immediate reform of the energy industry to liberalize the local electricity market and end the monpoly of state-owned Taiwan Power Co (Taipower).

As a supporter of the development of alternative energies, the DPP has realized that no steps can be taken toward that goal until Taipower’s monopoly is eliminated, DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said.

Su announced the establishment of a taskforce to amend the Electricity Act (電業法) during a weekly meeting on major policy issues.

There has been no major amendment to the act, which regulates the nation’s power production, distribution and management, in almost five decades and the last time the act was overhauled was in 1965, Su said

The DPP said that the current dispute over the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), was related to the opacity of Taipower’s operations, as well as the monopolistic structure of the energy market.

“As the only buyer and seller on the market, Taipower has been able to dictate and influence national energy policy for decades, which is a mistake that has to be corrected as soon as possible,” Su said.

The state-owned electricity provider’s domination of the market is why it has been reluctant to devote efforts to developing alternative and “green” energies, such as solar and wind power, Su said

The result is that renewable energies accounted for only 3.56 percent of national power output in 2011, he added.

DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) has been appointed convener of the task force, which plans to submit a draft amendment on the act with the aim of liberalizing electricity production, distribution and sale and promoting alternative energy, DPP spokesperson Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said.